Even though Dolly Parton sang so earnestly and nostalgically of Joseph’s coat of many colors, biblical scholars have taken a closer look at the text and have concluded that there’s nothing there that indicates the coat Joseph received was anything more than an “ornamented tunic.” Yet this tunic, and clothes in general, plays an important role in the entire Joseph cycle.

How does the depiction of clothing affect the narrative of Joseph’s story?

What distinct theology is expressed in the Joseph cycle? How does it compare to other theological models of narrative that we’ve seen in Genesis so far?